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  • KP govt suspends 800 protesting teachers

    KP govt suspends 800 protesting teachers

    With protests for increase in teachers’ salaries and other incentives continuing on the fifth day, the district education officer (DEO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak has suspended 800 primary school teachers.

    Teachers have been protesting since Tuesday outside Peshawar’s Jinnah Park and have been firm in continuing their strikes until the fulfilment of their demands. They have also demanded that the government decides against privatisation of primary schools in the province.

    “We don’t want to go on strike or protest, but we have no other options left,” All Teachers Association (ATA) Haripur President Akhtar Nawaz told media outlets on Friday.

    “The demand for upgradation of teachers’ pay scale was accepted during the previous government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf [PTI], but it has not been implemented yet,” Nawaz complained.

    He said they were also demanding the provincial government awarded permanent status to teachers selected on the basis of a contract in 2022.

    President of the All Primary Schools Teachers Association (APSTA) Azizullah Khan stated, “On the pretext of pension reforms, the provincial government has cut down several allowances from the pension, which we were previously entitled to.”

    Earlier, KP Financial Advisor Muzammil Aslam had warned protesting teachers by saying that those involved in the protest would face pay cuts.

    Responding to teachers’ demand for pay scale upgradation, he said that it was impossible to upgrade the status of 175,000 teachers at the same time.

  • KMKT actor Areej Chaudhary reacts to comparisons with adult star Dani Daniels

    KMKT actor Areej Chaudhary reacts to comparisons with adult star Dani Daniels

    Actress and model Areej Chaudhary, known for the role of Natasha in the hit drama serial ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ has addressed netizens’ comments on her “resemblance” to adult films star Dani Daniels.   

    “The first thing is that I don’t like responding [to such things] at all… [and] it’s a very good approach. The second thing is that you need to be mentally strong if you are in this field. You need to have a strong head,” she said during her appearance on Nadir Ali’s podcast. 

    To a question regarding how she felt about it or her family’s reaction, Areej said that she chose to stay unaffected. “If you’re hearing something, pay no heed to it. What people say… what they post… none of it matters. The people who know you, know you.”

    The Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum actress also revealed how the situation first came to her notice.

    “Actually, I didn’t even know who that person was. I once shared it on my WhatsApp status, did not even read it properly. It just looked like a normal clip from my own drama. When my friend pointed out that I hadn’t read what was written, I checked it out. I quickly deleted it and understood what was happening,” she said.

    Earlier, the Tark e Wafa actress also opened up about her hit role and the lessons viewers can learn from the storyline. In an interview with Connect Cine, Areej reflected on the chemistry that had developed between Mustafa and Sharjeena.

    “Their connection is very different. The first thing I want to tell you about them is that Sharjeena was getting married to someone else, but it didn’t happen. She then got married to Mustafa,” Areej said when asked about the chemistry of the couple from the hit drama. 

    In an interview with ‘Something Haute’  Areej talked about her character in the trending drama.

    The host, Hassan Choudhry, asked, “What similarities are there between Natasha and you?”

    “I could never be her in real life. I may be like Natasha when it comes to appreciating art, but other than that, I don’t like anything about her. I would never do something like that in my life,” she responded.

    Areej, who is yet to announce her next role, has also starred in drama serials such as ‘Wo Pagal Si’, ‘Tark E Wafa’ and ‘Sitam’.

  • Mehwish Hayat’s bold look as Lady Don in Honey Singh’s ‘Jatt Mehkma’ music video

    Mehwish Hayat’s bold look as Lady Don in Honey Singh’s ‘Jatt Mehkma’ music video

    Indian Punjabi singer and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh has released the video for his song ‘Jatt Mehkma’


    The music video features Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat looking absolutely dazzling as Lady Don.


    The actress shared a post announcing the release of the music video yesterday.


    The video had been highly anticipated for months, with its teaser recently released to much fan fare. Now, the full video has created a sensation.


    In the song released under the T-Series banner, Mehwish Hayat can be seen in a fierce lady don look.


    The song is part of Honey Singh’s recent music album ‘Glory,’ with its audio already released.


    Interestingly, Yo Yo Honey Singh directed the music video himself.


    Check the video below:

  • Smog closes motorways, commercial activities

    Smog closes motorways, commercial activities

    Thick clouds of smog are covering the plains of Punjab, including Lahore have severely restricted visibility affecting traffic flow, causing multiple motorway sections to close for all types of traffic, including M2 from Lahore to Kot Sarwar, Motorway M3 from Samundri to Darkhana, Motorway M4 from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakim, and Motorway M11 from Lahore to Sialkot.

    The air quality index (AQI) reading in Multan crossed the 2,000 mark on Friday morning and is still ranging from 1000 to 1500, which has raised alarm bells across the province, prompting the administration to double the restrictions and control the air quality. 

    Additionally, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the commissioner of the Lahore division to ensure that all commercial activities are closed within the provincial capital and its peripheries at 8 pm for the next 15 days.


    During a recent hearing on a plea filed against the Punjab government for not taking effective measures to combat smog, Justice Shahid Karim on Friday ordered all private offices to announce a work-from-home policy for two days and ordered markets to close at 8 pm.

    However, the court also ordered the complete closure of markets on Sunday and directed officials to start a crackdown on smog-emitting vehicles.

    LHC  directed traffic police to immediately stop smoke-emitting vehicles and remarked that the dolphin police should also take action along with the traffic police.


    Justice Karim also observed that an out-of-the-box solution would also include limiting the marriage functions as well as limiting the number of persons attending these functions.


    The judge sought a report on the matter of smog on Nov 11.


    Meanwhile, the Punjab government has issued a notification about the ban on public entry in public and amusement parks.

    Green lockdown is already in place to bring down the pollution in smog hotspots in the province. 

  • Afghan women not barred from speaking to each other: morality ministry

    Afghan women not barred from speaking to each other: morality ministry

    Women in Afghanistan are not forbidden from speaking to each other, the Taliban government’s morality ministry told AFP on Saturday, denying recent media reports of a ban.

    Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women’s voices, based on an audio recording of the head of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV), Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, about rules of prayer. 

    PVPV spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber said the reports were “brainless” and “illogical”, in a voice recording confirmed by AFP. 

    “A woman can talk to another woman, women need to interact with one another in society, women do have their needs,” he said. 

    He added, however, that there were exceptions according to Islamic law, such as those described by Hanafi that women should use hand gestures instead of raising their voices to communicate with other women while praying.

    Women in Afghanistan are barred from singing or reciting poetry aloud in public, according to a recent “vice and virtue” law detailing sweeping codes of behaviour, including that women’s voices should be “concealed” along with their bodies when outside their homes. 

    Women’s voices have also been banned from television and radio broadcasts in some provinces.

    The law codified many rules the Taliban government has imposed based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law since they came to power in 2021, with women bearing the brunt of restrictions the United Nations has called “gender apartheid”. 

    The Taliban authorities have banned education after secondary school for girls and women, also barring them from various jobs as well as parks and other public places. 

    The Taliban government has said all Afghan citizens’ rights are guaranteed under Islamic law. 

  • Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife and him are ‘still a family’ despite split

    Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife and him are ‘still a family’ despite split

    Natasha Stankovich, Serbian actress and ex-wife of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya, has dismissed rumors of relocating to her home country, saying that the couple are “still a family” despite their marriage ending. 

    Natasa, who flew to Serbia with their son Agastya after separating from the cricketer in July, returned to India weeks later. “I cannot leave India because Agastya attends school here,” she disclosed, while emphasizing that despite their separation, “Pandya and I remain a family for our son.”


    In a new interview, she said, “The family is here at the end of the day. We [Hardik and I] are still family. We have a child, and the child will always make us family at the end of the day. Agastya needs to stay with both parents.”


    Natasa also mentioned, “I visit my home country annually but always return to India to raise my child.” 


    The Serbian star dismissed any preconceived conceptions of what her life is like now.  “I am at peace with myself. I’m at peace with people assuming things about me.”


    The former couple, who married in 2020 in a low-key court wedding and welcomed their baby boy in July of the same year, confirmed in a joint separation statement that they will continue to co-parent their son Agastya.


    Following the separation, Pandya is rumored to be dating British singer and TV personality Jasmin Walia.

  • Prepare to pay higher passport fees

    Prepare to pay higher passport fees

    The federal government has announced revised rates for passport fees to be applicable across the country.


    Geo News reported authorities have fixed separate fees for issuance of e-passport, machine readable passport (MRP) and lost passports.


    E-passport, which constitutes 36 pages and is valid for five years, will be available for Rs 3000 with a normal fee and Rs.15 thousand if applied with an urgent fee.


    The fee for a normal passport of 75 pages will be 15 thousand 500 rupees but for urgent passport that is valid for 10 years, it will be 27000 rupees.


    36 pager e-passport will be for Rs 13,500 while it will cost for a Rs 24, 750 for the urgent passport.


    75 pager normal e-passport will now cost Rs.16,500 while it will cost Rs. 27,000 for an urgent one.


    Passports of ten year duration will cost Rs 24, 750 but for the urgent one, it will be Rs 40, 500.


    36 pager Machine Readable Passport (MRP) will be valid for five years will cost Rs. 4500 normally while the urgent will be for Rs. 7500. 


    Fast track passport fee is Rs. 13, 500. 


    MRP normal 72 pager for 10 years validity will be Rs. 6700. Meanwhile, the urgent fee for that is Rs. 11,200.  


    However, the fast track fee is Rs 16,200. 


    72 pager MRP passport for 5 years will normally cost Rs 8200 and the urgent will be for Rs 13, 500.


    The fast track fee for that will be Rs 19 500.


    A 100-pager MRP fee will normally cost Rs. 9000. The urgent will be Rs 18,000. 
    Fast track fee is Rs 23,000.


    The same MRP valid for 10 years will normally cost 13, 500 rupees while the urgent fee is Rs. 17,000. 


    Fast track fee is fixed at Rs 32,000.


    The government has also set a separate fee for the first, second and third time lost passports.


    Previously, the passport department announced to amend the rules governing the issuance of passports as citizens will now be able to get their passport made from any city across the country regardless of the address mentioned in their computerised national identity card (CNIC).

  • When is Pakistan’s first ever Netflix series coming to our screens?

    When is Pakistan’s first ever Netflix series coming to our screens?

    Author and drama writer Farhat Istiaq’s novel Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo is making its way to a Netflix adaption with fans eagerly awaiting the release of the much anticipated drama series.  

                 
    Farhat has shared some exciting details about the fairly secretive upcoming series on Connect Cine. 
      

    Indian journalist Faridoon Shahryar asked, “What is the latest update of Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo?”
     
     “Insha’Allah, most likely it will be released next year. Our shooting is complete, and you’ll witness a high-quality product, shot in Italy, the UK, Islamabad, Karachi, and across multiple locations. It has a vibrant mix of locations, adding an enjoyable flair. Italy, for instance, holds special significance as I was inspired by my years spent there, I adore its history and the love I developed for the place led me to write a novel centered around it.” 


     Italy plays a key role in Farhat Ishtiaq’s novel, almost acting as a character.
      

    “In fact, Italy itself is almost like a character in the novel, featuring the cities of Rome, Milan, and Florence as integral parts of the story. So naturally, in the drama adaptation, Italy will also play a key role, with all the places I mentioned in the novel beautifully depicted on screen,” she explained.
     
    The Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum writer also highlighted the challenges of adapting a novel for the screen, particularly for an OTT platform like Netflix.  

    Farhat said, “In novels, you’re freer to express, but for a screen adaptation, especially an OTT platform, adjustments have to be made to meet different requirements. The essence of the novel, however, remains intact.”

                                                                         
    The host asked, “Who are your favorite writers?”

    “I have many, I love reading Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s, Ahmed Faraz, Munir Niazi poetry deeply touches me, a good verse stays with me for days, and I can live happily with it for a long time. Although I don’t write poetry , I greatly admire its beauty, the way a poet can convey what would take pages to express in a novel with just a couple of lines. Among fiction writers, Bano Qudsia, Ashfaq Ahmed, and Qurratulain Hyder stand out, and in English literature, Shakespeare and Thomas Hardy. I read everything, I enjoy good and bad literature and don’t just restrict myself to good literature; I enjoy reading everything, even things that are considered  not-so-good,” Farhat concluded.

  • ‘Influencer content is causing depression,’ says Zoya Nasir

    ‘Influencer content is causing depression,’ says Zoya Nasir

    Actress Zoya Nasir has said that the content of many social media influencers is based on lies, causing many young people to fall victim to depression and anxiety.


    She recently appeared on the FHM podcast, where she opened up about social media influencers sharing fake content.


    She said, “From globally popular social media influencers to national level social media stars, they are showing false content on social media.”


    She added, “Influencers often include false content in their videos on fitness, lifestyle, beauty, and weight loss secrets, which many people are unaware of.”

    Pointing out that f content shared by social media influencers is considered good content by common users, Farhat said that users they try to be like them but don’t have enough resources to emulate that lifestyle. 

    According to the actress, “Social media influencers have money and resources, but they influence the minds of other viewers by showing content falsely and unrealistically, which causes many people to suffer from depression.”


    Zoya Nasir said, “People who see the content of social media influencers without thinking, they are suffering from depression and anxiety because they cannot live like them.”


    In response to another question, she said, “It has also become easy to create deepfake videos of others through artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and many people are being targeted.”


    She added, “A woman made an inappropriate deepfake video of an actress and made it viral. Such trends are very dangerous, and this technology should be used for other important works.”

  • Brain drain to wallet gain: Remittances expected to hit 34 billion dollars

    Brain drain to wallet gain: Remittances expected to hit 34 billion dollars

    Businesses watch with great pleasure as the endless inflow of remittances hits a four-month high. With the monthly remittance figure crossing $3 billion, there will be significant positive implications for both businesses and the economy as a whole.

    This remittance rush was to be expected, though, as over two million Pakistani citizens emigrated out of Pakistan in the past three years to seek better employment opportunities.

    The concept of brain drain – migration of skilled and educated people to other countries for better opportunities – is perceived to be a negative thing.

    For a country like Pakistan, however, it is also a blessing in disguise.

    The inflow of foreign reserves keeps the economy afloat by reducing Pakistan’s current account deficit. With Islamabad’s persistent efforts, the current account deficit sits at a low of $681 million in FY 23-24 i.e. 79 per cent lower than the previous year. With the high inflow of foreign reserves that Pakistan is experiencing now from remittances, the current account just might end up being balanced.

    The remittance situation is so positive that experts have begun to compare it to the large inflows that were seen during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government.

    Under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, remittances surged past $31 billion to an all-time high in 2022. However, remittances are projected to cross an astounding $34 billion.

    While this would be great news for lawmakers, the real winners here will be the businessmen of the nation. This is because these large inflows of money are often sent back to Pakistan with the intention of helping struggling family members back home. 

    This money can then be used to purchase goods and services from businesses in the local economy. These increased sales directly translate into an increase in the profit levels of business owners.

    Overseas Pakistanis have also historically sent money back home for the purchase of land or the construction of houses. The recent rise in remittances will help save the real estate and construction sectors.

    The real estate market has seen a severe slump. Even the largest residential societies have seen their plots of land diminish in value and price. 

    Overseas Pakistanis, however, are usually looking to make long-term investments. This lower price tag is precisely what makes purchasing land an attractive proposition – as it will appreciate over time.

    If this remittance money is directed towards the purchase of land, the country might see a revival of the real estate sector. Moreover, expatriates’ construction of houses will invaluably benefit businesses involved in the provision of building materials and supplies.

    For now, Pakistan benefits from each outbound flight carrying emigrants.

    After all, the remittance levels are of huge help to Pakistan, but only time will tell if the inflows of foreign reserves were worth the price that had to be paid: Brain drain.